Track Listing

1. Night on Bald Mountain (Noch' na Lïsoy gore), symphonic poem, edited by Rimsky-Korsakov
2. Danse macabre, symphonic poem in G minor, Op. 40
3. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 1, Op. 46: In the Hall of the Mountain King
4. Funeral March of a Marionette, for piano or orchestra in D minor
5. The Sorcerer's Apprentice (L'apprenti sorcier), symphonic scherzo for orchestra
6. Toccata and Fugue, for organ in D minor, BWV 565 (BC J37): Toccata
7. Hänsel und Gretel, opera: Witch's Ride
8. Symphonie fantastique for orchestra ('Episode de la vie d'un Artiste...en cinq parties'), H.48 (Op. 14): March to the Scaffold
9. The Planets, suite for orchestra & female chorus, Op. 32, H. 125: Mars - the Bringer of War
10. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie), opera, WWV 86b: Ride of the Valkyries
11. Hallowe'en, for string quartet, piano & optional drum, S. 71 (K. 2B13)
12. Mephisto Waltz, for orchestra No. 1 (Der Tanz in der Dorfschenke; Episoden No. 2), S. 110/2 (LW G16/2)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65985 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 1991-07-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

A great theme anthology
As a regular classroom teacher, I'm always looking for music to use in the classroom for various occasions. I have used this collection with grades 4 through 7 with positive results. The students have written some interesting journal entries when they write while listening to this music. It's a great way to gain the interest of the most callous student who thinks of all classical music as "elevator music." The only down side comes when my hyper kids decide to move along with the music. Maybe I should give them a grade for interpretive dance.

Good for Halloween Gatherings
If you're looking for a fun CD with spooky sounding music that reminds you of old Disney cartoons...I think that this CD was meant to be fun, NOT for the classical conisseur. It would be a nice CD for a Halloween gathering, or something similar, as background music.

What, you call this scary music?
I'm familiar with most of the pieces found in this CD, and I can say I don't think they are frightening at all. They're great and highly enjoyable in their own right (the 'Danse Macabre' by Camille Saint-Saens is lovely dance music), but if one's intention is to bring together a collection of pieces of truly scary classical music, then this anthology hasn't done the job.

Here's a list of what I would consider TRULY TERRIFYING works of classical music:

~Ralph Vaughan Williams' 4th & 6th symphonies (especially the 2nd movement of each of them)

~Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring'

~Gyorgy Ligeti's 'Atmospheres' and 'Lux Aeterna' (used in the film '2001')

~Almost anything by Bela Bartok (but especially his 'The Miraculous Mandarin')

If you want to be truly frightened, go for the said pieces!